This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Grommets are used to support the passage of wiring harnesses and bundles through openings in a panel or other member. For example, grommets have a variety of important applications in the automotive industry, including for mounting in a through-hole of a vehicle body panel. Traditionally, grommets comprise one piece that must be installed or fed from one end of the wire harness or bundle and moved towards the designated opening and requires lubrication. This process is costly because it is labor intensive and time consuming, particularly when the wires are long.
Another option is to assemble grommet halves, together in place around the wires. In many cases, however, it is important to seal the grommet with the panel to mitigate against water, dust, dirt, or other contaminants passing therebetween. Unfortunately, using such assembled grommet halves creates difficulties in obtaining adequate grommet-to-panel sealing, in addition to adequate grommet half-to-half sealing and grommet-to-wire sealing. One or more separate, independent sealing members can be assembled together with the grommet halves to provide the necessary sealing, but this is also labor intensive and time consuming, and prone to errors that can compromise the assembly or seal.